Lebanon

Roundtable on Media Viability in Lebanon. January 18, 2023.

Lebanon country report

The following draft report includes policy recommendations on media viability based on a national consultation in Lebanon convened by GFMD in partnership with UNESCO's Regional Bureau for Education in Beirut, Samir Kassir Foundation’s (Skeyes) Center for Media and Cultural Freedom, and Maharat Foundation.

READ THE FULL REPORT ON THE LEBANON CONSULTATIONS HERE

Agenda

Date: January 18, 2023

Time: 09:00 - 14:00

Venue: UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in Beirut, Bir Hassan, facing Cité sportive Camille-Chamoun, Beirut 11 - 5244, Lebanon

Organisers:

The roundtable is held in English without translation.

It is advisable to wear masks for the safety of all amid the recent resurgence in covid and flu cases.

Opening remarks by conference organisers (09:30 - 09:35)

Roundtable 1 - Media viability: challenges and opportunities for the Lebanese media sector (09:35 - 11:00)

Moderator: Roula Mikhael, Maharat Foundation

Format: Contributions from UNESCO, Maharat Foundation, and the Samir Kassir Foundation followed by an open discussion.

Coffee break (11:00 - 11:15)

Roundtable 2 - Role of non-media stakeholders: donor-media relations, big tech, and public sector reforms (11:15 - 12:15)

Moderator: Ayman Mhanna, Samir Kassir Foundation’s (SKeyes) Center for Media and Cultural Freedom Format: Open discussion between donors, media support organisations, media organisations, tech industry representatives, and government institutions.

Policy recommendations for media viability in Lebanon (12:15 - 12:55)

Moderator: George Awad, UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in Beirut

Format: Each participant will contribute recommendations on how to implement one or two of the policy options that have been discussed to improve media viability in Lebanon.

Conclusion (12:55 - 13:00)

Lunch (13:00 - 14:00)

Literature review

In addition to the general literature on media viability, including UNESCO's latest research and reports, the consultation is informed by the following reports and studies specific to the Lebanese context: